Dallas-Fort Worth leaders are stepping up in a big way in hopes of luring Amazon.com Inc.'s proposed $5 billion second North American headquarters to the region.

The Seattle-based online retail giant announced Thursday it would begin a national real estate search for a major North American city to house its second corporate headquarters, and executives are reviewing bid materials to put together options for Amazon.

The region is already home to millions of square feet of distribution, warehouse and office space for Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), including a growing North Dallas regional office in the Galleria Towers.

"The Dallas Regional Chamber has communicated to Amazon our intent to respond to the RFP for Amazon HQ2," Mike Rosa, senior vice president for economic development at the Dallas Regional Chamber, told the Dallas Business Journal.

"We are in reviewing the RFP and look forward to showcasing for Amazon the many reasons why there is no better place than right here for Amazon’s HQ2," he added.

The Dallas Regional Chamber is working alongside North Texas cities and the development community to identify some of the best sites for the potential Amazon HQ2 campus, which is expected to employ up to 50,000 workers as the online retailer continues to grow its operations.

"We've already contacted Amazon to express our interest and have proceeded to their prescribed next step," said Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings in a statement to the Dallas Business Journal."We will aggressively demonstrate that Dallas and our surrounding area would be the perfect spot for their expansive business needs."

The second North American headquarters could have a significant economic impact on the region, with Amazon.com estimating its investment impact in Seattle from 2010 through 2016 at $38 billion.